MCD- McDonald's Corporation
Consumer Cyclical · Restaurants
The story of McDonald’s is not really about hamburgers. In 1940 brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a drive-in in San Bernardino, California, and in 1948 reinvented it with the "Speedee Service System," effectively inventing fast food. Then a milkshake-machine salesman named Ray Kroc saw an empire the brothers never imagined. He founded the McDonald’s Corporation in 1955 and, guided by the insight that the company was really "in the real estate business," turned a burger stand into a global cash machine. After buying out the brothers in 1961 and going public in 1965, McDonald’s grew into a 40,000-restaurant empire and one of the market’s most reliable dividend stocks. This is the complete story of the Golden Arches.
Read the full storyPrice & Performance
Performance
Analysis & Verdict
Analyst Ratings
BuyWall Street consensus from 31 analysts
12-Month Price Target
$315.39
Based on analyst estimates; price targets are opinions, not guarantees.
Fair Value Estimates
Current price: $252.53
Graham Number
√(22.5 × EPS × Book Value)
N/A
Benjamin Graham's intrinsic value formula. Assumes a fair stock trades at no more than 22.5× the product of EPS and book value per share.
Bazin Ceiling Price
Avg. Annual DPS (5Y) ÷ 6%
$103.63
Décio Bazin's dividend-based ceiling. The max price you should pay so that dividends alone deliver at least 6% annual yield on your cost basis.
These are simplified estimates. Not financial advice.
Buy & Hold Checklist
Quality criteria for long-term holding
8/10
100% score
Pays dividends
15Y hist.15+ years of dividend history
Dividend consistency (5Y+)
15 yrsUninterrupted dividend payments for at least 5 years
ROE above 10%
Return on equity - measures how efficiently capital is used
Positive profit margin
31.7%Net profit margin must be positive - company earns more than it spends
Revenue growth (annual)
+3.7%Annual revenue must be growing compared to the prior year
Earnings growth (annual)
+5.7%Annual earnings must be growing compared to the prior year
Debt/Equity below 2×
Low financial leverage reduces risk of distress
Current ratio above 1
1.08×Short-term assets must cover short-term liabilities
Daily liquidity above $5M
$1.2B/dayHigh trading volume ensures easy entry and exit
Dividend yield above 0%
2.95%Stock must distribute income to shareholders
Financials
Revenue & Results
Key Statistics
Earnings
Next Earnings
Nov 5, 2026
54
days
EPS (TTM)
$12.30
P/E (TTM)
20.5
Fwd P/E
18.1
SEC Filings & Reported Financials
Earnings History
SEC EDGAR · official filings
SEC Filings
Official EDGAR documents
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · officers, directors & 10% owners
Dividends & Income
Dividends
Current DY
2.95%
5Y Avg Annual
$6.2840
Last Payment
$1.8600
Ex-Date
09/01/2026
Annual dividends paid per share
| Ex-Date | Payment | Amount | Est. DY |
|---|---|---|---|
Latest09/01/2026 | 09/16/2026 | $1.8600 | 2.95% |
06/02/2026 | 06/17/2026 | $1.8600 | 2.95% |
03/03/2026 | 03/18/2026 | $1.8600 | 2.95% |
12/01/2025 | 12/16/2025 | $1.8600 | 2.95% |
09/02/2025 | 09/17/2025 | $1.7700 | 2.80% |
06/02/2025 | 06/17/2025 | $1.7700 | 2.80% |
03/03/2025 | 03/18/2025 | $1.7700 | 2.80% |
12/02/2024 | 12/17/2024 | $1.7700 | 2.80% |
Magic Number
Shares needed to self-fund your next purchase
$252.53
Price
$1.8600
Last div. (quarterly)
136
shares
Own 136 MCD shares ($34,344.08) and each quarterly dividend pays for 1 new share - the snowball runs on its own.
Investment target
$34,344.08
New shares / year
+4 shares
Dividend Calculator
2.95% yieldEstimate MCD dividend income at the current rate.
Per year
$294.62
Per month
$24.55
≈ 39.6 shares at $7.44/share a year. Estimate only - dividends can be cut or raised.
Tools & Simulators
MCD vs Peers, Indexes & Commodities
?Click a card below to plot it on the chart
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Parameters
Final value
$426,404.61
Total invested
$130,000.00
Total interest
$296,404.61
Balance over time
Period breakdown
| Period | Balance | Invested | Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | $10,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Year 1 | $17,270.27 | $16,000.00 | $1,270.27 |
| Year 2 | $25,267.56 | $22,000.00 | $3,267.56 |
| Year 3 | $34,064.59 | $28,000.00 | $6,064.59 |
| Year 4 | $43,741.32 | $34,000.00 | $9,741.32 |
| Year 5 | $54,385.72 | $40,000.00 | $14,385.72 |
| Year 6 | $66,094.55 | $46,000.00 | $20,094.55 |
| Year 7 | $78,974.28 | $52,000.00 | $26,974.28 |
| Year 8 | $93,141.97 | $58,000.00 | $35,141.97 |
| Year 9 | $108,726.44 | $64,000.00 | $44,726.44 |
| Year 10 | $125,869.35 | $70,000.00 | $55,869.35 |
| Year 11 | $144,726.56 | $76,000.00 | $68,726.56 |
| Year 12 | $165,469.48 | $82,000.00 | $83,469.48 |
| Year 13 | $188,286.70 | $88,000.00 | $100,286.70 |
| Year 14 | $213,385.63 | $94,000.00 | $119,385.63 |
| Year 15 | $240,994.47 | $100,000.00 | $140,994.47 |
| Year 16 | $271,364.18 | $106,000.00 | $165,364.18 |
| Year 17 | $304,770.87 | $112,000.00 | $192,770.87 |
| Year 18 | $341,518.22 | $118,000.00 | $223,518.22 |
| Year 19 | $381,940.31 | $124,000.00 | $257,940.31 |
| Year 20 | $426,404.61 | $130,000.00 | $296,404.61 |
What is compound interest?
Compound interest means that the interest you earn in one period is added to your principal, so in the next period you earn interest on a larger base. This creates exponential growth: the longer your time horizon, the more dramatic the effect.
Which rate should I use?
The S&P 500 has historically returned ~10%/year before inflation over long periods - use this for an all-equity US index fund scenario. A balanced growth portfolio (stocks + bonds) is closer to 7%. High-yield savings accounts (HYSA) are currently paying around 4-5% with FDIC insurance and zero market risk. Bonds historically return ~4% annualized.
Formula used
FV = PV × (1+r)^n + PMT × ((1+r)^n − 1) / rwhere r is the monthly rate, n is the number of months, PV is the initial investment, and PMT is the monthly contribution. Annual rates are converted to monthly viar = (1 + annual%)^(1/12) − 1.
For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past returns do not guarantee future results.
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About McDonald's Corporation
McDonald's Corporation owns, operates, and franchises restaurants under the McDonald's brand in the United States and internationally. It offers food and beverages, including hamburgers and cheeseburgers, various chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, frozen desserts, sundaes, soft serve cones, cookies, pies, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages; and full or limited breakfast, as well as sells various other products during limited-time promotions. The company owns and operates franchised restaurants under various structures, including conventional franchise, developmental license, or affiliate. McDonald's Corporation was founded in 1940 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Sector
Consumer Cyclical
Industry
Restaurants
Location
Chicago, United States
Employees
150,000
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McDonald's Corporation (MCD) stock trades at $252.53, down 0.21% on the day. With a market capitalization of $178.70 billion, MCD is a large-cap consumer cyclical stock. It trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.5, a forward P/E of 18.1 and earnings per share (EPS) of $12.30. Over the most recent period the company reported 4% year-over-year revenue growth and a net profit margin of 31.7%. Below you'll find MCD's full fundamentals, fair-value estimates, dividend history, earnings and our buy, hold or avoid verdict for 2026.
MCD - Frequently Asked Questions
Is McDonald's Corporation (MCD) a good stock to buy in 2026?
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) shows strengths such as a strong 32% net margin. Whether MCD is a good buy in 2026 depends on your time horizon and risk tolerance - review the full bull case, bear case and fair-value estimates above. This is informational analysis, not financial advice.
What is MCD's stock price today?
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) trades at $252.53, down 0.21% on the session. Prices on this page update throughout the trading day.
Does MCD pay a dividend?
Yes. McDonald's Corporation pays an annual dividend of $7.44 per share, a dividend yield of 2.95%. The most recent ex-dividend date was September 1, 2026. Its payout ratio is about 60% of earnings.
Is MCD overvalued?
With a P/E ratio of 20.5×, MCD trades at a roughly market-average valuation for the consumer cyclical sector. Its PEG ratio is 2.19. See the Fair Value Estimates section above for Graham Number and dividend-based price targets.
What is MCD's market cap?
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) has a market capitalization of $178.70 billion, classifying it as a large-cap stock in the Consumer Cyclical sector.
Disclaimer: This page - including any buy/hold/avoid view, fair value or price estimate - is generated from market data for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or trading advice. Data may be delayed or inaccurate. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision.